As part of the Community, State & National Affairs (CSN) group, Government Affairs advances AARP’s goals through legislative and regulatory advocacy with policymakers and elected officials at the federal, state and local levels, as well as judicial advocacy in the courts.

The Senior Legislative Representative (SLR) provides strategic leadership, direction, and advocacy for AARP’s state and local policy positions on Financial and Retirement Security as well as Consumer Affairs issues pertaining to Americans 50 and older.

The Senior Legislative Representative will work with state and national colleagues to represent AARP before local and state governing bodies, including state legislatures and city councils, and will work with state and national office colleagues to support and manage ongoing relationships with Governors, state legislatures, attorneys general and other state and local elected and appointed officials and will assist AARP members, volunteers and leaders with advocacy on a range of financial security and consumer affairs issues, including state sponsored private sector retirement and unemployment insurance programs. The Senior Legislative Representative will coordinate with federal Government Affairs colleagues to develop an integrated strategy on financial security and consumer issues.

The SLR will report to the Director of the State Advocacy and Strategy Integration (SASI) Financial Security and Consumer Affairs team.

• Developing strategies to achieve AARP’s advocacy objectives in collaboration with national and state colleagues including colleagues in Government Affairs, States & Community Engagement, Campaigns, Programs and Policy to help shape public opinion regarding AARP policies, goals and objectives in a wide range of public forums and providing issue expertise, advice and counseling to AARP leadership on public policy development by identifying emerging issues and recommending policy changes or course corrections.

• Preparing written materials to advance AARP’s advocacy positions, including but not limited to testimony, legislative correspondence, regulatory comments, AARP-branded model legislation and amendments, fact sheets and other internal documents as well as public statements.

• Analyzing legislative and regulatory proposals and contributing to advocacy products, such as, legislative alerts, campaign collateral and issue messages for use in support of AARP’s advocacy efforts.

• Working with AARP state offices and national colleagues including colleagues in State & Community Engagement to leverage AARP’s relationships in an integrated, coordinated, and effective manner to build deeper and more effective engagement in support of AARP policy goals.

• Developing, fostering and leveraging AARP’s relationships with local elected officials, state legislators, Governors and state agency executives and their staffs, in collaboration with and in support of state colleagues.

• Building strategic and solid partnerships with other non-profit and private organizations, opinion-leaders, and state and local elected officials organizations including participating in and presenting at conferences, webinars and other training and leading lasting and beneficial partnerships.

• Serving as a spokesperson with state and national press and with legislative and non-legislative audiences on financial and retirement security and consumer affairs issues to position AARP as a credible source of information on legislative and regulatory issues. In an appropriately coordinated fashion, advising state offices on key policy and communications approaches to frame AARP’s message.

• Providing issue leadership, coordination, and support to AARP state offices with strategy and analysis of individual state and local advocacy initiatives. Providing strategic support and technical resources, in coordination with Campaigns, to enable states to win issue campaigns by applying issue expertise, critical judgment and negotiation skills, advice, and relevant issue advocacy experience.

• Coordinating across state (State Advocacy & Strategic Integration) and federal Government Affairs teams to integrate advocacy.

• Identifying, hiring, supervising and working with consultants and issue experts to advance AARP’s advocacy agenda including contract and project management.

• Facilitating the implementation of AARP public policy positions through support of state staff and volunteer activities, including providing virtual training and support as well as traveling routinely to states to provide testimony, training and support of advocacy efforts in the states.

• Demonstrates AARP values and leadership behaviors in all interactions.

-Bachelor’s degree required, advanced degree strongly preferred; 8+ years relevant and progressively responsible substantive experience in government, the private sector, or a non-profit organization engaged in complex advocacy initiatives; or an equivalent combination of training and experience related to the duties of this position.

-Issue knowledge, expertise and/or familiarity with a wide range of financial security, retirement security and consumer issues, including state facilitated private sector retirement savings programs, 401(k)’s, IRA’s, ERISA, private and public pensions, automatic enrollment, decumulation, government financing, financial security, investing, public and private retirement systems, state unemployment insurance programs, student loans, hunger, Social Security and other issues. May also require government contracting and procurement process knowledge, regulatory and litigation tracking, and external board representation.

-Extensive experience in the preparation and presentation of policy positions (issues briefs, testimony, memos, legislative drafting, etc.), particularly involving retirement issues required.

-Demonstrated ability to analyze legislation and regulations thoroughly and effectively and to apply research results to justify or support AARP policies and positions.

-Demonstrated ability to work effectively and collegially in a team environment, including building strategic partnerships with AARP state office colleagues, and demonstrated ability to work in a rapidly changing environment essential.

-Demonstrated ability to adhere to specific guidelines for developing and implementing integrated issue campaigns needed.

-Excellent interpersonal, presentation, and relationship development skills as well as the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously and communicate effectively with others are needed.

AARP offers competitive benefits with a 401K, 100% company funded pension plan, health, dental, vision and life insurance, STD/LTD, paid vacation and sick, and other benefits.

AARP is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive culture. AARP does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, color, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, mental or physical disability, genetic information, veteran status, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.